Despite what some people believe, abs do not consist only of those prominent six muscles in the front that are referred to as the six pack. The abs also consist of less obvious and yet just as important muscles, such as the core muscles, internal obliques, transversus abdominis, and the lower back too. Therefore, in order to get optimum results, one needs to exercise all these muscles, which means that the best ab workouts include a wide variety of exercises.

Nevertheless, it is true that great results can also be obtained by only working on the major muscle groups, by doing squats, lunges, deadlifts, and so on. Training heavily on these exercises will involve your abs, which will grow strong very quickly. But just like any other muscle group, the abs also require you to maintain the workout regimen for a certain time. And if you are willing to commit to doing that, it makes sense to also include all the variety of exercises that are needed to your routine.

If you are looking for a specific routine that everyone can start with, here are a few great exercises that all the best ab workouts include. However, remember that when it comes to bodybuilding, the secret is in varying the routine by changing the order of the exercises around, and regularly replacing them with new ones.

Start with the exercise called jacknives. While lying on your back on the floor with your arms outstretched behind you and the hands facing the floor, lift your arms, legs and body simultaneously from the floor. Try to touch your feet to your hands, but do not fail to keep the legs straight. Once you have attained your highest position, stay like that for a moment and then lower yourself back down. Another great exercise is the traditional knees-to-chest, with the only modification that you need to roll backwards. This will enable you to bring the knees in for touching the chin.

The scissors also work the abs very effectively, as do the seated twists. If you do not know what these are, they require you to sit on the floor with the legs spread, hands behind head, and then twist from side to side while breathing deeply. Try to combine these great drills with your favorite exercises and you will have the best ab workouts specially designed for yourself.

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